Dear Pre-Algebra parents,

Your son/daughter is enrolled in CHAT Pre-Algebra this fall. If you haven't already done so, please buy your textbook. You can purchase it new at abebooks.com, Rainbow Resource, BJU Press, etc. Or you might be able to find a used one online. Just make sure it is the current edition: Bob Jones Pre-Algebra text, 2nd edition (ISBN #978-1-59166-546-5 or #1591665469). The current Pre-Algebra book is yellow with a picture of a shell on the front:

Please visit www.mcg.net/nelson/chatmath.htm. There you can view or download the course syllabus, homework expectations, assignment notes, and tentative assignment schedule. My goal is to cover all 15 chapters. We will make adjustments as necessary as we go. You will notice that there are 5 assignments given per week. You can decide which 5 days you will use as assignment days. If there is a test to be taken it is considered one of the 5 assignments for the week. There are assignment notes posted on the CHAT math website which are designed to "tutor" your student through the homework problems that they do at home. They can be printed weekly and given to your student before they start their assignments.

I have made a solutions packet for each student, and will hand out the fall semester portion on the first day of class. It would be a good idea if you would get those answers keys from your student right after class, so students aren't tempted to "over-use" them. They are meant more for the parents than the students. Assignments are to be corrected at home and turned in weekly.

Also, when you see on the schedule that there is a test as part of the homework, you are to administer the test as a closed book test. They should then return the test (stapled shut) to me the following week, along with that week's daily assignments. I will correct the test and return it to your student the following week with a percentage grade.

As with any math class I have ever taught, I cannot stress enough the importance of not letting your students fall behind. Math is very sequential in nature.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have, both now and as we progress through the school year.  If your son or daughter is working on an assignment and has a specific question, have them email me the page and problem number along with their question, and I will get it answered as soon as possible. I have found that email works quite well for this. They are welcome to call, but that can be hit or miss.   Otherwise, we will always take time at the beginning of class to answer questions from the previous week.

Sincerely,

Kim Nelson, tutor
952-451-9901